4 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
More than 1,100 jobs cut across Northern California as layoffs mount
A fresh wave of layoffs is sweeping across Northern California, with job cuts spanning the biotech, retail, agriculture and health care sectors — signaling mounting economic pressures in the region.
Genentech, the South San Francisco-based biotechnology firm owned by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, has announced a new round of layoffs. According to a WARN notice filed with the state, 143 employees will be permanently let go by mid-July.
'As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and operational efficiency, we continuously review and adapt our business in line with customer and patient needs,' Roche said in a statement. 'Regular reviews of our strategy and operating model ensure we deliver on our commitments.'
In Napa County, Tre Posti — a well-known event venue in St. Helena — will permanently close in August, resulting in 130 job losses.
The venue, popular for weddings and fine dining experiences under the direction of Chef Nash Cognetti, is considered a cultural and economic fixture in the region's hospitality landscape.
Retail is also feeling the pinch.
Michaels Stores announced it will permanently close its Tracy distribution center, eliminating 229 jobs.
The announcement comes amid a broader downturn in retail, with store closures contributing to a 274% surge in industry-wide layoffs in the first half of 2025, according to a report released Tuesday by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.
Meanwhile, Sacramento's Blue Diamond Growers will begin phasing out operations at its almond processing facility over the next two years, impacting roughly 600 workers. The company cited a decline in almond sales and shrinking orchard acreage as key factors.
'Thank you Blue Diamond for 115 years of partnership,' Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum said in a joint statement. 'The Blue Diamond factory is primed for new life and new opportunity for our city.'
The plant is located about a mile from the future site of the Sacramento Republic Stadium.
Kaiser Permanente also reported a round of layoffs this week, cutting 40 positions across its Bay Area facilities in Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont and Pleasanton, as part of a broader reduction of 55 jobs statewide.
Compounding the region's economic uncertainty, retail layoffs nationally have climbed sharply in 2025, driven by widespread store closures.
According to the report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., the first five months of the year saw over 75,000 retail job cuts — a 274% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Macy's leads the pack, closing 150 locations after a $21.3 billion sales drop. Joann, the crafts retailer, shut down all 800 stores following bankruptcy, while CVS plans to shutter 270 locations amid changing consumer patterns.
JCPenney, Walgreens and Forever 21 have also announced significant downsizing.
Retail now ranks as the second-hardest-hit sector for job cuts this year, trailing only the federal government, which has shed over 270,000 jobs due to reductions tied to the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.
The tech industry follows closely, with 74,716 layoffs reported so far — a 35% increase from last year.
'Tariffs, funding cuts, consumer spending, and overall economic pessimism are putting intense pressure on companies' workforces,' Andrew Challenger, senior vice president of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said in a statement. 'Companies are spending less, slowing hiring, and sending layoff notices.'
